Topics
Views for this Topic: 0
8/4/2007, 6:45 AM
My Hofner Guitar
After more than 40 years service the neck joins were starting to fail meaning that the neck had to be taken off and reglued - a job that took three months. But it sounds, looks and feels GREAT now!
Hofners were (and still are) made in Germany. They were very popular in Great Britain and Europe in the late 1950s and early/mid 1960s as US guitars were expensive and very hard to come by. A lot of the "Merseybeat" bands used them as did a young Dave Gilmour (later to join Pink Floyd).
The most famous users however were the Beatles. John Lennon used one in the Hamburg days as did Paul McCartney - firstly on rhythm and then his famous "Violin" bass.
The Beatles in Hamburg - Pete Best, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Stuart Sutcliffe. Paul is holding a Hofner Club 50 upside down. At this stage Stuart Sutcliffe was the bassist and Pete Best the drummer for the Beatles.
Paul on stage with his "Violin" bass in the Beatlemania period.Add Comment
8/4/2007, 10:16 PM
Hi Bruce, As you know I had a 1940s accoustic f hole Hofner, which was' borrowed' by a fellow muso, then left in a railway station while he went to the toilet--------- there were a few around in Christchuch in the early '60s and it had a nice thuddy sound (think Donavan)-------I replaced it with a Gretch Tennesean, which I later traded for the 1959 Gibson 335 that I still have-------never lent a guitar since! Those early Beatles shots are priceless-------I still remember when they first came to Christchurch and stood on the balconey of the Clarendon hotel only to be pelted with eggs by jealous youths from the roof of the Gas Co. building opposite, I was also on that roof but without eggs! I was about 13 years old!
8/4/2007, 8:54 PM
It cost $400 US for the repair. I've only had this guitar about 10 years and I don't know its history. I doubt that it has any famous connections as here in Western Australia we've only ever contributed Bon Scott, INXS and Dave Hole to the world stage. I had a similar guitar back in the late 60s but it was traded on a Telecaster which in turn was traded on a Strat. I've still got the Strat (see a cuppla blogs back). So when I saw this one I thought it was a chance to relive the past. It's not that great for lead but it has that authentic 60s "British Invasion" rhythm guitar sound
8/4/2007, 9:33 AM
Hi BJ, Looking good, sounding expensive but worth it I'm sure. Have you been the sole user for 40 years? I doubt it somehow, so do you have it's history and can it do any famous name dropping (apart from you of course) Ah, if only guitars could talk...well actually some do don't they? Happy next 40 years - V